Zurmo 2.0 Released, Focuses on End User Experience, Gamification

The new release carries an extensive checklist of enterprise grade CRM features. Zurmo now surpasses the functionality traditionally found in Open Source CRM software and project leaders focus on new User Experience trends targeting Generation X and Y.

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) June 18, 2013

Developers of the Zurmo Open Source Customer Relationship Management application today announced the availability of Zurmo 2.0.

The new release carries an extensive checklist of enterprise grade CRM features including complete sales force automation, email marketing, product catalogs, web-to-lead integration, advanced reporting, workflow, and mobile access. Although the Zurmo Community Edition now surpasses the functionality traditionally found in freely downloadable Open Source CRM software, project leaders believe focusing on the user experience is as important as a laundry list of features.

“When we first decided to build a gamified CRM, the idea seemed kind of far-fetched. But now, after three years, thirty releases, and tens of thousands of users, our customers, contributors, partners, and innovators are telling us that the future of Customer Relationship Management looks a lot like Zurmo,” states Jason Green, CEO and co-founder of Zurmo. “Gamification works. Social collaboration works. Open Source works. A clean user interface with minimalist design works. These are the building blocks of Zurmo”

Focus on End Users over Buyers
The stated mission of Zurmo is to challenge the way people approach CRM. Zurmo developers are doing this from the “bottom up”, rather from the “top down”. All product design and development decisions are made according to the foreseeable benefit of actual users.

“What if we pretend the end user decides which CRM her employer is going to deploy? It isn’t really true of course. Management usually decides what system will be forced down the throats of sales people. Management wants to see pretty charts and reports while the actual users are the ones who are slaving away in the system. That’s why so many CRM systems are mind numbingly dull for the end user sitting behind her cubicle in Des Moines,” States Zurmo co-founder and VP of Sales, Ray Stoeckicht. “But the truth is, long after the check is signed, that bored user is who makes or breaks the sustained success of a CRM implementation. We believe that the sales user in the trenches deserves more. With Zurmo 2.0, we are giving them more.”

Focus on a Visualistic User Experience
Zurmo User Experience Designers are re-examining how people could potentially interface with enterprise applications. The aesthetic expectations of generations emerging into the workforce today are strongly taken into consideration by project leaders.
“The dirty little secret in the CRM world is that most people don’t fully use CRM,” states Stafford McKay, Jr., Director of Marketing and Community Management for Zurmo.

“The word ‘thrilling’ is probably used a lot when people talk about designing European sports cars. It isn’t something people tend to feel when they build CRM systems. But somehow ‘thrilling’ has been a pretty consistent emotion we have as we continue to work on the Zurmo User Experience. Adding Kanban boards to the Opportunities Module is kind of like spray painting a concrete wall at the Department of Motor Vehicles. Yes, it’s kind of naughty but it just feels right somehow.”

Zurmo 2.0 Feature Highlights

Email Marketing
Email Marketing functionality is now part of the Zurmo Open Source edition. Users create segmented lists based on advanced reporting, design email templates, schedule autoresponders, and view charts displaying real time analytics on email data such as list growth, click-through-rate, and other important metrics. Read more: http://zurmo.org/features/email-marketing

Kanban Views
Zurmo has applied the continuous flow concept of a Japanese Kanban Board to the sales process. For example, Opportunity stages are automatically modified by dragging and dropping objects to the next level. Learn more: http://zurmo.org/features/crm-opportunities-kanban

Other notable features added to Zurmo in Open Source version 2.0 include integrated Web Forms, Campaign Management, Marketing Analytics, Products, and Catalogs.